Commission Meeting December 3, 2024

https://www.youtube.com/live/t1yb2CTfTNQ?si=fvroiabZzB4i1XQD

All there.

**Presentations/Staff Report

Budget for 2025. The public notice for this was published Nov 8, in the Springfield News-Sun. In a May 2025 Commission meeting, The Don, when directly asked how people were informed, said he wasn't sure where public notices were published but he thought it was in the Classifieds section.

Katie Eviston (on her LinkedIn page, she says, "As the Finance Director for the City of Springfield, Ohio, I'm privileged to lead a talented team of over 50 professionals ...") presented, after

Early September, then October, met exclusively to do the 2025 budget. Two in-depth meetings were open to the public (?!).

After thanking the staff about their adaptability and pressure this year.

Fiscal Recovery fund from the American Rescue act - we couldn't have made it. The General Fund is under serious strain. Without that temporary support, this would be critical.

The city is becoming increasingly reliant on City Income tax to provide core services. IMAGES. This buffer is critical because we need to dip into it occasionally

The streets at 4 million we set in 2017 with the first increase in income tax. We've spent 3 million annually, but dollars aren't going as far. Prices are doubled.

Many municipalities are facing these situations.

Tackett says she looks forward to hearing more planning from the staff. (?)

**Rue Statement
The prayer/invocation and pledge.

Invocation by Alan Roy. Thank you Lord that everyone is created in your image and has equal value. I pray that we begin to see each other in that way. And that we begin to team up and work together to celebrate the victory we're seeing in our city. A special prayer for the people looking for housing. give us wisdom and patience and grace and love toward one another.

(Normally the prayer is mic' off. But speakers are hand-picked.)

His usual warning to citizen speakers about disruptions. If speakers provide false information, they will be excluded from this and the next meeting.

**Citizen Speakers
Diane Daniels - a year ago, I talked about the homeless. Because of the focus of this Commission. The numbers of 650 are wrong. Closer to 1,000. Priority Immigration Task Force. So they'll be comfortable for them. We didn't have a Haitian who was hungry, cold, or wet this Thanksgiving. We had 1,000 homeless in that condition. She cried. The medical bus for the Haitians. Do not get in our way to take care of ourselves. Thanksgiving dinner in Snyder Park - saw two of her students. They were homeless. Leave your car and walk home tonight. You wouldn't last an hour. How dare you put your priorities on a replacement population and ignore the citizens of this city.

Mrs. Skinner - Why are our addresses asked for, when we can't get crime info anymore? We can't get info. What positions in City hall do we not need. If we had an audit today is there any money missing? Where would one get a report? How many police have been hired? We have a criminal hitting the same locations but can't find the person? Why is there no high-alert system? Small business are the victims that have to keep repairing their own property? They're released. No lesson learned in juvenile court. Code enforcement about the garage - wrecked cars up and down the road. Unsatisfactory reply/response.

James Stewart - With DMV. Data is unreliable. Per capita. Etc. 108.9 rapes per capita per year. Growing every year. He can produce/prove the number. Ohio is at 23.8. We are second in the state.

Cindy Barton - Your reaction to what is going on in this city. What is your job, your power to bring jobs back to this city? Brown and DeWine and you and Covid - you flew these Haitians in here. You destroyed this city. You put us all out of jobs if we didn't take the vaccine. And gave them to the Haitians. They get cash and benefits so they can live (together) on $15 an hour, but they can't for us. The rental prices - just greed. You know you can get it, because it's being paid for by the government.

Matthew Linger - City of Springfield employee. Proposal to get rid of his divisions. No voice, no information, nothing. The decision made by the City leadership. I am 52, started in 1998, veteran, no COLA raise in 7 years, plans to retire, but now outsourced. You switched to RITA.

Rue - PUT YOUR SIGNS DOWN PLEASE.

Jacob Putman - Diane Daniels saved my life one night. I watch these meetings for over a year with the same issues. Why fire station on Pleasant sold to the Haitian Community Center? Rite Aid sold...What happens to the 275K that you got on the sale? What is the reputation you leave behind?

Charles Jackson - Why y'all want to complain about no jobs. They were here before the Hazians got here. I'm tired of people getting mad at you and using profanity here. Pass something if you use profanity toward any of you, you are barred from the meetings permanently. They're facing enough worry about what's coming up with the new president. Most of the homeless people are able to work, but people give them things. I go up and buy pizzas and hand out food to the less fortunate. Thank you for letting me talk.

Larry Ricketts - People for Safe Water. Tremont Barrel Fill Remediation Project. RISA2 ordered by Feds to do the testing. First testing in over a decade. Maybe you could include them in a January meeting. The project will continue regardless of who might be the new EPA Director.

**Rue's Immediate Comments

Rue wanted to take a break before their last meeting. Heck said don't we want to answer questions.

Rue - Please no comments from the audience.

We can't regulate speech at these meetings. People can speak their minds for 3 minutes (but he kicks people out and had police bank them?)

**Heck's Reports and Answers

I've been with the city since 2006 addresses haven't changed. Rob is reading it off the card now. Always been part of the record. Chief Allison mentioned encryption on the system.

We've been sharing Top 10 calls for service with y'all. Improving our records managment system that we'll also share.

Positions we're always evaluation positions if they need to be refilled.

Is all our money accounted for? Yes, we are audited every year. They're available on our website. Cities are audited by the State Auditor - Clark Shafer Hackett has been appointed by the state to audit us. Ensures all funds are accounted for. This ensures transparency. We've had NO findings in the 10 years she's been here.

Police officers - 15 interviews, 10 more. Then we'll make offers for first part of 2025. To get to 130 strength.

Garage on Rosewood - A resident has continued to provide video evidence. Today, Logan Cobbs, police dept, and posted Cease and Desist areas. Starting the public nuisance process and tagging of vehicles. We just needed video audience.

We are working on a strategic plan to gather statistics. Collaborative effort on gun violence. Why do we use per capita - we don't. We only supply raw numbers in the OLEG system. Per capita is done by the publisher. We only provide raw data. I'm aware of the News-Sun article. But we just give raw data.

Continually trying to bring new jobs here, open to everyone. Employers decide who they hire.

Ohio is a no rent-control state. The city has no authority to institute that.

Too much work would have to go into the fire station. posted on the open market for anyone to purchase. The only offer was from the Haitian Community Center.

Logan Cobbs is working with multiple entities on the homeless.

**Commission Comments

Tackett
Castle Knoll for the homeless It was too big of a capacity to fund. Thank you to the Holiday in the City drive with 112 bags for the homeless. I have taken the bags to Barron's warming center. At 424 S Fountain Avenue. It started tonight - open 24 hours - it's an old church. She gave the phone #.

The Thanksgiving crime - I wanted an update from City Manager. He asked Chief Allison to present. I'm going to read the press release we sent out to all the media outlets. Shooting after 30 gunshots on Nov 26th. Preparing meals loading into vehicles when they heard the shots. Gray Tahoe leaving the scene. One fled on foot apprehended a few blocks away. Pursued the car - he ran but found on High Street. 3 occupants from Springfield, remaining was not located. Detective had a crash but was okay. Two homes were struck. 3 were charged. (That's not enough info.) Who. Still in jail? What.

Lead letters are being sent out.

Could we provide a presentation on job, housing, pop growth in the city? Heck said he'll ask the Economic Development group to do a presentation (he calls these working sessions).

Estrop
Without clean water we will have no future. (Rue says, We have clean water that we're going to protect.)

Houston
Commend everyone who did Holiday in the City this year. The drone show was really cool. What are we doing about jobs here? People don't realize the significant job growth recently - 700, 500, 1000 jobs Topiary, Gabes, a new data center. We are voting on a zoning agreement to bring business here. Rentals - we cannot implement rent control.

Brown
What are the plans for the fire station funds? Finance gal said any time we sell an asset, we look at which fund paid for that asset. General fund and Permanent Improvement fund which goes back into public safety (their one big fund).

The housing that's been added here. Asked Heck about the additional housing in the last 2 years. I feel like it's been a lot. We've had significant housing development growth here. He lists all the new projects. It's an abundance!

Brown says the citizens can reflect on The Don's last statement.

**My Thoughts

They're still in the spotlight, they think, so this is a huge positive spin on everything. All the issues, things Heck will address are still outstanding as of June 2025. Overall message is that they aren't responsible for anything. And everything is open to everyone. And money is good! And transparent!

"The city is becoming increasingly reliant on City Income tax to provide core services." (But I thought Rue said he was misquoted when he told Anderson Cooper that city taxes hadn't been used for services?)

Rue said: If speakers provide false information, they will be excluded from this and the next meeting. (But NOTHING he's said in the media hasn't been false information.) (This wording has been changed a bit, just like they stopped reading the addresses. Even Heck said they've been doing that since 2006. A goofball reply.)

Heck thanked the resident who submitted all the video evidence he asked for about the illegal garage and all the wrecked cars. He had Allison do a cease and desist. I mean, wasn't this a smidge risky? IF she had had something happen, she could've sued the city and Heck and Allison personally. All in his vein of "that's not our responsibility", and yet he has 600+ employees. More which is it? Pick an argument.

The city of Springfield employee talking about the layoffs and end to retirement, etc. So they're laying people off, too?

Saying that they have no say in who employers hire. Employers decide who they hire. True, the federal funds went to companies - 10,000 per hire per month, was the number quoted. The one man who had to shut down all his online presences - said it on the air. Article, rebel news.

Dole: https://www.rebelnews.com/haitian_migrant_fears_overblown_says_springfield_dole_factory_supervisor

McGregor Metal blames employee problems on Springfield citizens, but he failed to mention that he got $9,600 per year per Haitian employee from the feds to hire them: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUyxnCO8ESM

And what McGregor and the Commission and every elected official you could ever run across fail to mention is that employers are PAID to hire Haitians in the form of the federal WOTC (Work Opportunity Tax Credit). Often, the full $9,600 per Haitian employee. Originally intended to help marginalized CITIZENS get and maintain jobs. McGregor and everyone like him profiting off this nationwide scam, mentions he has 30 employees. So that's a $288.800 credit every year. I believe that's why he shut down his website and went into hiding about an hour after his interview.

https://lifthcm.com/article/work-opportunity-tax-credit-wotc-guide-2024

Rue said we can't regulate speech at these meetings. People can speak their minds for 3 minutes. Then, what's with the armed police officers banking the person at the podium and the constant threat to kick people out?

Come May 2025, they're saying they're almost bankrupt. In this meeting, money is all sunshine, roses, and unicorns and free Federal money!